The Dungeness River basin lies in the northeastern Olympic peninsula of Washington State. The Dungeness River flows in a northerly direction from the rugged mountain peaks of Olympic National Park to the Strait of Juan De Fuca at Dungeness Bay. The upper portion of the river flows through steep narrow canyons while the lower ten miles is characterized by gently sloping plains.
The Dungeness River at Schoolhouse Rd. stream gage is located about four miles north of Sequim Washington at the Anderson Rd./ Schoolhouse Bridge crossing (approximate River Mile 0.75) near the community of Dungeness
Over the last 25 years the population of the Dungeness valley including the city of Sequim, has increased dramatically, altering the river environment. One of the environmental concerns associated with the watershed has been the increase in Fecal Coliform bacteria in Dungeness Bay. These increasing bacteria levels have led to recent shellfish harvest closures.
In November of 1999 the Washington Department of Ecology, in cooperation with the Jamestown S'Kllallam Tribe and Clallam County began conducting a water quality study to identify bacterial sources that contribute to the poor water quality in the bay. Water quality scientists chose to monitor streams that enter Dungeness Bay in the vicinity of the closure area, including the Dungeness River.
The Department of Ecology's Stream Hydrology Unit (SHU) was requested to provide the flow information for this project and installed continuous stage-height and temperature recording equipment near the mouth of the Dungeness River. A series of stream discharge measurements, expressed in cubic feet per second (cfs), have been made throughout the course of the project. A rating curve was determined by plotting these measured discharges against their corresponding stages at the times they were measured. The rating curves and their associated regression equations are then used to predict flows (discharge) at a given stage.
This water quality project was concluded in November of 2000. However, the Dungeness River Management Team has requested SHU continue monitoring flow on the river in order to better manage issues facing the Dungeness watershed.
In the Spring of 2002, in cooperation with the USGS, the Department of Ecology upgraded the station to transmit data every three hours back to Ecology headquarters.